Parking directions are for the first area and the closed gate at Laurel Run. If the gate is open, continue for another 1.1 miles and park on
just before yellow
marked trail closed gate.Note: Forestry Road 252 has private property on either side before re-entering the GWNF and reaching the parking area. Do Not camp or park on private property. 38.88885, -78.72940

The Laurel Run/Stack Rocks circuit has some of the best views
in the area. The panoramic
views along orange
blazed North Mountain Trail are spectacular on a clear day.
If the first gate is closed just before Laurel Run you
will have to park just before crossing Laurel Run. The hike
will be 8.8 miles long from this point. If the gate is open you
can
avoid the extra out and back on FDR252
by parking 1.1 miles further at the yellow
blazed Laurel Run Trail
entrance reducing the hike to 6.6 miles.

If you park a the first gate start the hike by walking 1.1 miles
up FDR252 before arriving at the start of the loop where the closed
gate and yellow blazed Laurel Run Trail turns to your right.

Start
up the yellow blazed trail and in one hundred yards arrive
at a split
in the trail.
Bear left continuing up yellow blazed Laurel Run Trail for 2.1
miles. The trail will pass through two wildlife
clearings before
winding back and
forth becoming steeper as it gets close to the mountain ridge.
Just before reaching the junction of the North Mountain Trail,
Laurel Run Trail will pass a small pond on your
left.

This was a fantastic hike! I have hiked most trails in this area (Tibbett knob, Little/Big Schloss) and I can say this is probably my favorite. It's not too difficult, so amateur hikers do not need to worry. It's definitely a workout, but it's very doable. First of all, driving to the gates can be intimidating due to the abundant "No Trespassing" signs, but just ignore them. You get onto National Forest land soon enough. Luckily, the first gate was unlocked at the time of my hike. There was a handmade sign saying "Warning: traps ahead" right when I got onto the yellow blazed trail. As I am not an expert trapper, I didn't know what to look for. After a mile of carefully placing my steps, I came to the quite obvious trap: a tepee structure with some fur suspended by a stick above it!

The white blazed overlook trail isn't much of a trail at all, so I can see why some have missed it. It's really just a 20 foot long narrow pathway on your left that goes toward a small rock formation. The overlook had one of the best views in the county and was a perfect place to eat lunch. I hiked in winter, so I had no foliage to worry about. I can see how some that hiked in other seasons had an obstructed view. All turns were very obvious, so it was hard to get lost. Just remember yellow-orange-purple-blue and you'll be fine. I saw absolutely no one on the trail, and barely any wildlife save for a few birds. Absolute solitude and silence.

This hike is definitely a 5, just try to go in winter!

Sidenote: On one of the pictures, there is a label pointing to Massanutten ski area. This is actually Bryce resort Massanutten is much further south, past Harrisonburg.

By:
Alex

Rating:

Date of Hike: Monday, September 4, 2017

Overall the hike was fine. It's in the national forest, so it's not a maintained trail. It's nice in that you'll see few other hikers and there are some pretty parts to the hike. But, I'll reiterate what others have said and tell you this does not have panoramic views. In fact, the off-trail views are few, far between, and unimpressive. I'd look elsewhere if you're looking to get up high and get some nice views of the surrounding countryside.

By:

Rating:

Date of Hike: Sunday, May 14, 2017

This was a hike that I really enjoyed, despite not paying attention and making a wrong turn while jibber-jabbering with my wife, a slight 3-mile oops. Solitude: only us. Views: up top, quite enjoyable views of Great North Mountain to the south and Devil's Hole Mountain to the east. Best hiked when no leaves on the trees. Varied Habitats: wet woodlands, open wildlife management areas, dry upland woods, ridge walk, grassy bald up top, all very interesting. Difficulty: It wasn't. Cons: a considerable road walk in and out.

Overall a pretty blah hike. Definitely doesn't rate the "5" it has for views. You will spend 98% of the hike looking at foliage. First opportunity for an actual view was at Will's Point overlook. Great views from there to the east...to include several logged areas...and to the south/south west. No opportunity to see anything to the west even though you're on top of the ridge line- just way too much foliage. A few more overlooks along the ridge line but the same views as Will's Point. If you're considering doing this hike, do it when the leaves are fallen, then you can probably see a lot more, but I would not recommend this hike when there are so many better options.

By:
Lynn

Rating:

Date of Hike: Saturday, May 23, 2015

I hiked it with a group of 7 other casual hikers. It was a great day - 75 and sunny. The mountain laurel just started to bloom and there were Pink Lady Slippers everywhere - a treat we didn't expect. A well maintained trail, the ascent was long and didn't allow you to take in the nature as you watched your footing. The pond was full of tadpoles and made a nice first stop. We enjoyed the ridgeline views even though we missed the white trail to Will's Overlook. We stopped again at the start of the Stacked Rocks before the descent. Overall, a great hike. We finished in 5.5 hours.